


Baby This Can’t Be The End of You and Me

by Bex90



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Marriage breakdown, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Non Bipolar Ian, couples counselling, somewhat canon compliant, will they...wont they (get back together)?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-08-29 03:37:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8473918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bex90/pseuds/Bex90
Summary: Loosely based on the following prompt:Ian and Mickey are a couple. A night, they have a discussion because Ian wants to join the army and Mickey doesn't want it. In the morning when Mickey wakes up, he finds a note from Ian where he tells him that he will be for 4 years with the army. After these years, Ian comes back and he thinks that Mickey will come back together with him. The only thing that he doesn't know it's that Mickey is going to be married. Could you write that Ian has to fight for Mickey and that Mickey doesn't forgive Ian.I've gone off script a little (ok maybe a lot) as the idea just took on a life of it's own.





	1. Cracks

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Детка, это не может быть концом для тебя и меня. (Baby This Cant Be The End of You and Me)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8909848) by [Ahe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahe/pseuds/Ahe)



Mickey felt the familiar wave of nausea wash over him. He was sitting next to Ian on an unfamiliar leather sofa, across from a studious looking woman with a tight bun. The woman held, whose name was Oliva, a notepad in her hand and was surveying Mickey over her half-moon glasses.  
"Are you ok, Mickey?" she asked, putting her notepad aside. "You're looking a little green"  
"I think I'm gonna be sick" Mickey muttered with his hand over his mouth.  
"You know where the bathroom is” 

Ian scoffed and rolled his eyes as he watched his husband dash to the bathroom. And Ian thought he was dramatic one.  
"What're you thinking, Ian?" Olivia asked, looking at Ian curiously.  
"He's just trying to get out of being here" Ian shook his head in disbelief.  
"You think Mickey's putting it on?" Olivia stood up and wandered over to the bathroom door and opened it a little. Even from where Ian sat he could hear Mickey throwing up. "Why would Mickey pretend to be sick or make himself sick?"  
"Because he doesn't want to be here" Ian rolled his eyes as though it was obvious. "He hated the idea from the second I suggested it. He'll blame it on stress, me - like he always does"  
"But this is your fourth session, you don’t think there isn't even the slightest possibility he's actually sick?" Olivia asked. Her tone made Ian raise an eyebrow.  
"What aren't you telling me?" He asked. Before she could answer Mickey remerged, wiping at his face. He did look a little grey Ian noted as a small wave of concern washed over him.  
"You alright?" Olivia asked as she poured a glass of water and offered it to Mickey. He nodded as he sipped at the water and sat back on the sofa beside Ian, who didn’t spare him a glance.  
"I think we should leave it there for today" the doctor said, picking up her notepad and jotting a couple of things down before closing it again and looking between the two men before her. "But I do have some homework"  
Ian scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're not in school, doc"  
Mickey didn't say a word, instead curling into himself and placing a protective hand over his stomach.  
"I want you to take Mickey on a date" Olivia spoke directly to Ian. “I want you to remember why you fell in love with him in the first place”  
Ian stood up and rolled his eyes in disdain. “We’re done right? Let’s go, Mickey”  
“Actually I’d like to have a word with Mickey, alone” Olivia stood up, looking at Mickey.  
“I’ll be out at the car” Ian held out his hand and Mickey quickly pulled his keys from his back pocket and handed them to Ian. Without another word, Ian turned on his heel and walked out of the office.  
“Is this what I think it is?” Olivia asked once they were alone.  
“I think so, I haven’t taken a test yet but it feels the same” Mickey replied softly.  
“Are you going to tell Ian?” Olivia asked. “He has a right to know, even if he is being a dick right now”  
“Not until I’m sure” Mickey replied.  
“Do you want to make an appointment for a session on your own?” Olivia inquired as she moved around her desk and glanced at her computer. “I have a slot open for tomorrow at 3pm”  
“Yeah ok” Mickey agreed. “Can I bring the test here?”  
“Of course” Olivia entered Mickey’s name into her calendar. She glanced at him to see the man close to tears. “Hey, you’ll get through this. It’s bad right now but there’s a reason it’s a cliché. It does get better”  
Mickey let out a small laugh as he wiped at his eyes. He knew there was a reason he liked Olivia.  
“I want you do some homework too” Olivia said. “I remember Ian telling me about this guy he knew when he was teenager. Try and find him again, yeah?”  
“I’ll see what I can do” Mickey gave her a small smile and wave as he headed out. 

“You two done stroking your boners?” Ian jeered as Mickey climbed into the passenger’s seat. If he was completely honest, Mickey was surprised Ian hadn’t just left.  
“Fuck off” Mickey tried to bite out but it didn’t feel right. Nothing felt right now. Ian shook his head as he pulled out onto the street. Not for the first time that day, Mickey blinked back tears as he rested his head on the cold glass of the window.  
How did they get to this? How did things fall apart so fast?


	2. The Middle Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A filler chapter explaining exactly how they got to where they are in chapter one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should've said this on the first chapter but I'll put it here instead. This story will most likely jump between time periods. But I'll explain exactly where we are at the beginning of each chapter. 
> 
> For example, this chapter covers them getting together and the years leading up to the marriage breakdown. 
> 
> I should also mention that this story is only some-what canon compliant, as you'll read in this chapter. Of the two Mickey's story is the more canon compliant, but there are still changes.

When he was fifteen Ian Gallagher barged into Mickey Milkovich’s room armed with a tire iron, demanding a gun that Mickey had taken from Ian’s boss. They wrestled on Mickey’s bed and when Mickey looked down at the young redhead who was pinned underneath him, something just came over him, and seconds later they were tearing at each other’s clothes.   
They continued to fuck around as Ian’s feelings clearly grew for the grumpy, raven haired teen. Mickey, on the other hand tried desperately to deny his feelings for the redhead. But it was no use, Ian had gotten under Mickey’s skin and into his head, no matter how vehemently he denied it. Their world came crashing down just shy of Ian’s seventeenth birthday, when Mickey’s homophobic prick of a father caught them. Enraged, Terry ordered a ‘corrective rape’ on his son and made Ian watch. It nearly killed them both but Mickey, who’d had a gutful of living under his father’s thumb, fought the woman off and together he and Ian dodged Terry until the bastard got himself thrown back in the can. Neither boy heard from the woman again. 

~~~~~  
There was a time when Mickey and Ian where happy. Blissfully so. They’d made it through the worst (or so they’d thought), Mickey was out and Terry was in jail for good. It was a good time for them.  
Mickey managed to graduate high school, just scraping his grades together and spent the Ian’s senior year working as much as he could to save as much money as possible. They lived in the Milkovich house for a while but moved back to the Gallagher house a few months before Ian graduated. 

Ian had dreams of the military and worked his way through ROCT. The ultimate dream was West Point, but it became painfully clear as Ian entered his final year of high school that it wasn’t an option. His grades weren’t great and it was hard to accepted that no matter how hard he worked, Ian just couldn’t get them as high as they needed to be. Thankfully he had a resourceful boyfriend who did his homework. Mickey had found a military school that not only offered an array of scholarships but also accepted a GED. 

And that’s how Mickey and Ian ended up in South Carolina. 

Ian found it hardest to leave Chicago, he was leaving the most behind after all. Mickey, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to leave the shithole behind. But they settled into a small apartment in Charleston, only a few miles from where Ian would be attending The Citadel. 

Mickey easily found a job as an apprentice mechanic while Ian attended classes at the Military School of South Carolina. By the time Ian was on the verge of graduating, Mickey was a working as a fully qualified mechanic. Life was good. Ian put his desire to enlist aside after Mickey proposed. Instead, Ian signed on with the local ROCT division as an instructor. The Gallaghers, along with Iggy and Mandy all descended on their small town and the week leading up to the wedding as spent partying. Their wedding was small, intimate and perfect. Mickey and Ian honeymooned in New York and fell in love with the fast-paced city life.   
Two years later they said goodbye to their South Carolina life and bought a three-bedroom house in Riverdale. Both men found jobs easily and in typical Ian fashion, the redhead made friends for them both. The couple also saw a lot of Mandy in their first few years of living in New York. When she’d heard of their move to New York, Mandy followed her favourite boys and crashed with them for a few months while she figured herself out. It was like old times, having Mandy around. Mandy and Mickey bickered like they used to. Mandy and Ian ganged up on Mickey like they used to. And all three of them vegged out on the sofa, ate pizza, played video games and even got high every once in a while. 

Mandy met Jamie when she started working at a little café a few blocks from Mickey and Ian’s. The attraction as instant and intense. When Mandy introduced Jamie to Mickey and Ian, they were surprised that Jamie was a she and not a he. But as long as she was happy and safe, neither cared who Mandy was dating. Jamie turned out to be perfect for Mandy and three months into their relationship, Mandy announced she was moving out. As sad as they were to see her go, Mickey and Ian couldn’t wait to have the place back to themselves.   
Mickey and Ian had been living in Riverdale for about four years when they got the news that changed their life. Mickey had been feeling sick for a few days and Ian managed to convince him to take a pregnancy test. Sure enough it was positive and both were ecstatic. But it was all downhill from there. Mickey was hit with the worst morning sickness his doctor had ever seen. It got so bad that the doctor insisted Mickey was admitted to hospital until he got through his first trimester. The stress of having a sick, pregnant husband and needing to work extra hours began to take its toll on Ian. The redhead spent less and less time at the hospital with Mickey. At one point, they went an entire week without seeing each other and when they were together all they did was fight. Mickey’s blood pressure and heartrate went through the roof and the nurses ordered Ian to leave. They were both miserable.   
By the time Mickey entered his second trimester, the morning sickness had subsided and his doctor allowed him to go home under one condition; take it easy and no working. Naturally it wasn’t as easy for Mickey. Within a week he was going stir crazy. Ian hovered and was overbearing and they continued to fight. 

Mickey decided he needed to get out of the house one Thursday morning so he took himself on a walk around the block. He’d barely made it to the corner of the street before the cramping started. It was unlike anything he’d felt before so Mickey instantly knew something was wrong. Mickey managed to make it back to the house where he found his neighbour in her front yard. The neighbour called an ambulance and Ian as Mickey’s cramps got worse. By the time he got to the hospital, Mickey was bleeding and he knew it was over. He’d lost the baby. The doctor confirmed his worst nightmare later that evening and he broke down in Ian’s arms. 

Mickey spent a few days in hospital under observation. When he returned home, Ian wasn’t there. When Ian finally did come home he was cold and barely said two words to Mickey and Mickey knew Ian blamed him. Ian blamed him for losing their baby. Ian blamed him for not heeding the doctor’s orders. Mickey managed to call Mandy and tell her what had happened. She turned up a few hours later and Mickey broke down for a second time. He could see Ian’s hard face over his sister’s shoulder and Mickey knew something had changed between them. 

Losing their baby had broken them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on Tumblr: livefortoday-dreamforever


	3. Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey finds out the results of his test and Ian makes a life changing decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in line with the first chapter, taking place a week or two after.

Mickey’s hand shook as he clutched the brown paper bag as he waited for the elevator. The bag felt like it weighed a ton even though it only contained one thing. One thing that could change his life. Again. Part of him didn’t want to find out. Mickey didn’t think he could go through the torture again. But another part of him thought this might be the way to save his marriage. 

“Let’s get this over with” Mickey said as he entered Olivia’s office.   
“Good morning to you too Mickey” Olivia blinked as she closed the door behind him.   
“I’m sorry” Mickey turned to face her. “I’m just nervous”   
“It’s ok, I get it. Go do it and then we’ll talk” Olivia offered him a sympathetic smile.   
“How long does it usually take?” Mickey asked when he remerged from the bathroom, the white stick in his hand, wrapped in toilet paper.   
“Only five minutes” Olivia replied. Mickey put it on the desk between them and began pacing nervously. Olivia watched him for a minute before speaking up. “Mickey, you need to sit down, this isn’t doing you any good”  
Mickey threw himself into the padded chair he’d become accustom to and began wringing his hands. Olivia sighed and reached across the desk and placed her own hand on top of Mickey’s.  
“Sorry” Mickey muttered, stealing glances at the white stick.   
“It’s ok to be nervous, especially considering what you’ve been through” Olivia replied. “Talk to me, what are you thinking?”   
“I’m fucking terrified. What if it’s positive and it happens again? I don’t think I’d survive another loss. I know my marriage won’t and I don’t want to lose Ian” Mickey said tearily. He wiped roughly at his eyes, annoyed with how emotional he was.   
Olivia nodded. Professionally she should’ve been offering a generic ‘it’ll be ok’ or ‘you’ll get through this’ but the reality was Mickey may not be ok and he may not get through this and she wasn’t a liar.   
“Has it been five minutes yet?” Mickey asked.   
“Yeah, it has” Olivia said softly. “Have a look”  
Mickey screwed up his eyes and shook his head. “No, you tell me”   
Olivia picked up the test and unwrapped it carefully. There was no doubting it. There were two bright pink lines staring back at her. 

~~~~~

“Hey man, what are you doing here?” Lip greeted his younger brother as Ian walked into his office.   
“Do I need an excuse to come visit you now?” Ian asked as he perched himself on the corner of Lip’s desk and peered over his shoulder.   
“Aren’t you meant to be at work?” Lip questioned, leaning back in his leather chair.   
“Took the day off” Ian shrugged nonchalantly as he reached into one of the desk drawers. “Where’s your stash?”  
“It’s gone!” Lip hissed, batting at Ian’s arms. “After I almost got caught I moved it back to my place”   
“Ok, let’s go there then!” Ian stood up and headed for the door.   
“Ian, what’s going on with you? The last time you wanted to get high was…” Lip mentally put the pieces together. “Oh, shit. Mickey didn’t have another –”  
“No he didn’t, we haven’t fucked for weeks” Ian rolled his eyes, cutting Lip off. “We’ve been doing nothing but fighting lately” Ian visibly deflated as he threw himself onto the sofa next to the door.   
“I thought you guys were working through that shit, aren’t you going to counselling?” Lip wandered over and plopped down next to his brother. 

Ian put his head in his hands and sighed. It hadn’t been an easy few months. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Mickey were in the same room without fighting. Every tiny little thing Mickey did pissed Ian off lately. Just that morning Mickey had left a wet towel on the bathroom floor and Ian managed to pick a fight about it. While he couldn’t imagine not having Mickey in his life, right now Ian couldn’t stand his husband. 

“Hey, talk to me Ian” Lip pulled his younger from his thoughts with a squeeze on his arm. The redhead visibly deflated under his brother’s touch and Lip knew he was minutes away from losing it.   
Lip pulled Ian into his arms and Ian broke down, clinging to the older man like his life depended on it. 

“You know I’ve never really liked Mickey” Lip began once Ian’s sobs subsided. Ian leaned back and rolled his eyes. “But I can’t imagine what it’d be like to have a miscarriage”  
“It’s horrible” Ian replied, wiping at his eyes.   
“And what about Mickey? He’s the one who was growing a human being” Lip reasoned. “If it’s hard on you, it’s gotta be hell on him”  
“I wish it was that easy” Ian sighed.   
“You love him, right?” Lip asked. Ian nodded. “Then you gotta work it out. Don’t throw away your relationship over something like this”  
“I need to get away” Ian came to a decision as he spoke. “I’m going to enlist” He didn’t give Lip a chance to reply, standing up and bolting from the office. Lip sighed as he watched his brother take off. It wasn’t quite what he meant. 

~~~~~

Mickey sat frozen, staring at the white stick that sat on Olivia’s desk. This was good, wasn’t it? He should be happy. The miracle of life and all that shit. But all he could think of was the last time and what it led to. He honestly didn’t know if he could go through with it this time.   
“How does this make you feel?” Olivia asked gently. When Mickey didn’t answer, she wrapped the stick back up and tossed it in her waste basket. “Mickey?”  
“I feel sick” Mickey whispered, still staring at the desk. “This is meant to make me happy, right?”  
“There’s no right way of feeling, considering everything that’s happened” Olivia replied. “I just want you to talk through whatever you’re feeling”   
“I don’t think I can do it and I don’t want this to be the only reason Ian stays with me” Mickey confessed with a sob. “But I don’t want him to leave me either”

Olivia jotted a few things in her notepad as she let Mickey collect himself. She wanted to bring up something she knew her patient hadn’t considered. She also knew he was going to reject the idea straight away. But Olivia had seen the signs in their first session with Ian. That’s why she pulled him aside and suggested one-on-one sessions.   
“Mickey, I want to run an idea by you and I need you to keep an open mind” Olivia put her notepad aside to give him her full attention.   
“Sounds promising” Mickey said drily as he pulled a couple of tissues from the box that sat in the corner of Olivia’s desk.   
“I think you may have postpartum depression” Olivia stated.   
“What the fuck is that?” Mickey was thrown for a loop. Depression was the last thing on his mind.   
Olivia smirked. She was finally getting a glimpse of the man Ian had gushed about in their first session.   
“It’s what we call depression after childbirth, or in your case a miscarriage” She explained. Olivia was expecting a fight or at least denial but no what she got. Usually when she brought up depression with her patients, particularly the men, they fought her tooth and nail.   
“Ok, so what happens next?” Mickey sounded defeated and just plain sad.  
“I think it’d be a good idea if you tried an anti-depressant”   
~~~~~

When Mickey returned home later that afternoon he almost fell over a duffle bag that was next to the front door. Fuck. That wasn’t a good sign. The house was quiet but Ian’s car was in the driveway, so he knew the redhead was home.   
“Ian?” Mickey called hesitantly. He wandered into the kitchen and placed the plastic bag in his hand on the counter. “Where are you?”  
“You’re finally home” Ian said as he descended stairs. “Where have you been?”  
“Talking to Olivia” Mickey replied honestly. “I’ve been having a few one-on-one sessions with her”   
“Great, now you’ve been lying to me” Ian scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.   
“Why is there a bag by the door?” Mickey asked, deflecting.   
“I’m leaving, I need some space” Ian responded. He dropped his keys on the counter before heading for the door.   
“No” Mickey said forcefully.   
“What do you mean ‘no’?” Ian spun around to face his husband.   
“Do you remember what you said to me on our wedding day?” Mickey asked, stepping forward.   
Ian rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to throw that in my face, are you?”   
“You made fucking vows Ian! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Mickey shouted angrily.   
“Vows can be broken, Mickey. Nobody’s perfect” Ian snarled. He pushed past Mickey and picked up the duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ve enlisted, I’ll be gone for four years”  
“WHAT?!” Mickey shouted, dumbfounded. “You fucking prick!”  
Ian knew how Mickey felt about him enlisting. They’d had this conversation a hundred times in the past. But now, Mickey’s fears meant nothing to Ian. Ian just wants out and nothing else matters.   
Mickey followed Ian out the front door and down the few steps to the pavement.   
“Ian, please” Mickey found himself begging. “Don’t leave, we can work this out” It was clichéd but Mickey was desperate. Four years was a long time and Ian would miss out on so much.   
“We’re beyond that Mick, there’s nothing tying us together anymore” Ian said. “There isn’t a reason in the world that’d make me stay right now”  
Mickey’s voice wouldn’t work as he watched Ian turn on his heel and walk away. It wasn’t until after Ian was out of sight that it returned.   
“Ian, I’m pregnant”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia:   
> "No matter how hard it gets, no-one leaves" - One of Ian's vows to Mickey on their wedding day


	4. M and M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps forward over fours years. We also find out what Mickey's been up to.

Mickey stubbed out his cigarette under his boot before heading into the building. The second he opened the front door his ears were accosted by the sound of children playing, mingled with screaming babies.  
“Afternoon Mr Milkovich” the young receptionist greeted Mickey as he walked up to the desk. Mickey rolled his eyes at the name, he’d lost count of the number of times he’d told her to call him Mickey but eventually gave up.  
“Hey Jenna, how’s he been today?” Mickey asked as he took the book she offered him.  
“Good, he ate everything in his lunchbox and slept for just over an hour” Jenna told him as Mickey signed his name next to his son’s.  
“Thanks” Mickey handed her back the book and flashed her a smile before heading down the hall. He instantly regretted doing so because he swore he saw the girl swoon out of the corner of his eye. Mickey didn’t have much time to dwell on swooning twenty-something’s as his phone buzzed in his back pocket. Well, shit. Now he was swooning.  
“Hey, Mase” Mickey grinned stupidly as he spoke into the phone.  
“Hey Mick, can you do me a favour?” Mase’s voice sounded tired and desperate.  
“Of course, are you ok?” Mickey picked up on Mason’s agitation instantly.  
“Can you sign Casey out and I’ll pick him up from yours later?” Mason asked.  
“Of course, Mason, talk to me. Are you ok?” Mickey glanced through the window and spotted the two little boys playing together on the floor in the middle of the room.  
“I’ll explain later. Thanks for this Mick” Mason didn’t give Mickey a chance to reply before hanging up. Mickey pocketed his phone and headed back to Jenna.  
“Hey Jenna, can I sign Casey out too?” Mickey asked as the girl looked up at him.  
“Just give me one sec…” Jenna said as she typed away at the computer. Mickey knew she was looking up Casey’s file to see if he was on the approved pick up list. He’d been through this a few times before. Even though he knew it was just a formality, Mickey couldn’t help but be a tiny bit insulted each time it happened.  
“Here you go” Jenna held out the book to him and Mickey quickly found Casey’s name, signed against it and headed for the boy’s classroom. 

“Daddy!”  
Mickey had barely closed the door behind him when a redheaded boy came barrelling towards him.  
“Hey Evan” Mickey laughed as he picked up the little boy. “How’s my favourite guy?”  
“Good! Casey and me had so much fun today” the little boy was practically vibrating in Mickey’s arms. Mickey glanced over at Casey who was still sitting on the floor, watching them.  
“Hey, how you like to have a sleepover with Casey tonight?” Mickey asked.  
“Really? That’d be so cool!” Evan wriggled out of Mickey’s arms and dashed over to his friend. He watched the two boys interact, Casey looked over Evan’s shoulder and locked eyes with Mickey, who grinned and nodded. Both boys headed for the kid’s locker room.  
“Hi Mickey, what are those two so excited about?” a short, plump woman wandered over to him.  
“Hey Kathy” Mickey greeted her. “Casey’s staying with us tonight, his dad called me earlier”  
Kathy nodded as the two boys flew out of the locker room and towards them. “Have fun tonight boys, I want to hear all about your sleepover tomorrow!”  
“Bye Miss Kathy!” Casey and Evan said in unison before turning to Mickey.  
“Alright boys, let’s get outta here” He held out a hand to each of them before heading for the door. 

~~~~~

Mickey had just turned out the light in Evan’s room when he heard his front door unlock. He walked into the kitchen to see Mason searching through his cupboards.  
“Where’s your fucking booze?” Mason asked without turning to face Mickey. Instead he bent over and searched through the cupboard under the sink.  
“Nowhere a four-year-old can reach, that’s for sure” Mickey quipped as he crossed his arms over her chest and did not stare at his boyfriend’s ass. “What’s going on with you, man?”  
Mason sagged and closed the cupboard door before straightening up and turning to Mickey, who was there in an instant pulling him into his arms.  
“The witch is back” Mason said into Mickey’s shoulder. The witch was the Casey’s mother and Mason’s ex. Their history was complicated to say the least, Mickey knew that. Mickey also knew Mason had been left pretty broken after their break up and if it hadn’t been for his best friend, it was a real possibility that Mason may not even be here today.  
“What does she want?” Mickey asked. He leant on against the counter and pulled Mason into him.  
“Casey” Mason sighed, easily going to Mickey. “She’s decided she wants to be a mother”  
“Jesus, what are you going to do?” Mickey ran a hand through Mason’s short blonde hair.  
“Right now I’m taking you to bed and you’re going to plough me into the mattress. Tomorrow I’ll find a lawyer” Mason took a chuckling Mickey by the hand and dragged him towards the bedroom. 

~~~~~

The next morning found Mickey sitting out on his tiny balcony in the early hours, watching the sunrise. Mason was still asleep and Mickey hadn’t heard a peep from Evan’s room since last night. He wrapped his fingers around his mug of coffee, startling at the clinking sound of metal against ceramic. Mickey looked down at his left hand, even after all this time he still wore his wedding ring. When Ian first left Mickey had taken it off in anger but after a couple of days and a particularly bad night, he dug it out of his underwear drawer and put it back on. It hadn’t moved from his finger since. Even now, after almost two years with Mason, Mickey was torn about taking it off. Even with the residual anger, Mickey felt a sense of failure and sadness that he hadn’t been able to save his marriage. Mickey didn’t even know if Ian was still alive. For all he knew, Ian could’ve been killed in action. He hadn’t heard a single thing from Ian in over four years. In the beginning, Mickey had called Ian’s cell every single day until he was informed the number was out of service. He tried contacting the local army office to see if they could tell him where Ian had been deployed. But nobody could help him. Or nobody was willing to. Mickey had even asked the Gallagher’s if they’d heard from Ian. Not a single one had even known he and Mickey were having issues, let alone that Mickey had been pregnant. 

The day Evan was born Mickey was on his own, like he had been for the last nine months. Mickey was struck by the resemblance the newborn already had to Ian. It felt like a cruel joke. The baby had a mop of red hair and even at only hours old, Mickey could see a dusting of freckles across his face. Which only became more prominent as the child grew. There were days when Mickey couldn’t stand to look at his son but then on the good days Mickey couldn’t let the baby go. He knew he had to protect this child with his life. 

When Evan was two years old Mickey decided he had to go back to work. He wasn’t given much choice, the bills were piling up and his savings were dwindling. Mickey managed to find a day care that was close to his apartment and wasn’t ridiculously priced. That first day was horrible, both Evan and Mickey cried. It took all of his willpower to leave his son with those strangers. Mickey had been so distracted he almost hit another parent in the face as he exited the centre. He had mumbled a quick sorry and dashed to the privacy of his car to break down completely. He didn’t notice said parent follow him to his car and jumped out of his skin when the guy tapped on his window.  
Mason became a permanent fixture in Mickey’s life from that day. Their sons hit it off and the two fathers had a hard time denying their attraction to each other. 

Fast forward two years and Mickey was sharing his bed with him. 

~~~~~

Mason left around 10am, taking both boys with him and leaving Mickey to clean up after breakfast. Mickey didn’t really know what he was going to do with his day off now his son was at day care. Sure, he could go grocery shopping or even do that laundry that was piling up in the bathroom but instead, Mickey flopped onto the sofa and flicked mindlessly through the TV channels. Mickey sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and turned the TV off. He wasn’t used to having so much free time. Mickey closed his eyes and tried to rid himself of the sense of sadness and dread that had been hanging over him since the early hours. What was wrong with him today? Just as Mickey stood up, resolving to at least get the apartment cleaned up his doorbell buzzed.  
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mickey scowled when he opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you already know who's at the door...


	5. Four Years, Three Months and Two Weeks Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian's return causes Mickey turmoil, especially when he requests to meet a certain little one.

Mickey’s blood boiled as he stared at his silent husband. After more than four years Ian had the audacity to just turn up out of the blue.   
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mickey repeated when Ian didn’t speak.   
“I’m home” Ian replied as though he hadn’t been gone for years. “Can I come in?”   
“No” Mickey said bluntly as he tried to close the door. But Ian didn’t let him, the redhead just put a booted foot out to stop the door and pushed past Mickey, sending the shorter man into the wall.   
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Ian?” Mickey rubbed at his shoulder as he shut the door before following him into the kitchen.   
“I’m not letting you keep me out of my own home, Mickey” Ian replied. Mickey watched as Ian disappeared down the short hall into the bedroom, wander back into the living area and survey the room. “Something’s different”   
Mickey rolled his eyes. The place was a mess; Evan’s toys were everywhere and there were dirty dishes on the kitchen bench. Ian turned on his heel and headed into one of the Evan’s bedroom and stopped dead. Mickey tensed as he realised what Ian was thinking.   
“You dating someone with a kid, Mick?” Ian asked as he remerged with a pair of Evan’s PJ’s in his hand. “Or is there something you need to tell me?”  
Mickey gulped. “He’s four, his name is Evan. He’s a spitting image of you”  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ian’s voice was quiet and dangerous. Something in Mickey snapped, all the years of hurt and anger bubbling to the surface.   
“Why didn’t I fucking tell you? Why the fuck did you run away? I tried calling you for months! I went you your fucking family – who knew nothing about what was happening with us, by the way! I even tried finding you through the fucking army! Why did you disconnect your phone? Why did you make is so damn hard for your own fucking husband to find you?!” Mickey screamed, hot angry tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He walked up to Ian and shoved him hard in the chest, sending the redhead into the cupboards. “You ran away! You knocked me up and left me!”

Ian stayed silent all throughout Mickey’s outburst, not really sure of what to say. Everything Mickey was saying was the truth. He had run away. He had disconnected his phone. He didn’t really have much of a defence. But that never stopped him.   
“Did you know before or after I left?” Ian whispered.   
“I found out the day you left” Mickey replied. “When I realised what you were doing I didn’t want to use it to make you stay”   
“Can I meet him?” Ian asked. He stepped forward, trying to reach out for Mickey.   
“Absolutely not!” Mickey snapped. “You walked out on us, remember?”  
“You can’t keep my own son away from me Mickey!” Ian huffed.   
“You want to bet?” Mickey challenged. It was childish, he knew that, but he wasn’t ready to let Ian back into his life, let alone into Evan’s. “You need to leave”  
“This is my home too Mickey” Ian said calmly.  
“Not anymore, it’s been four years Ian!” Mickey shoved him again. “I want you to leave!”  
“Mick, please. We can work this out” Ian grabbed Mickey’s wrists and pulled him closer, trying to go in for a kiss. Instead Mickey headbutted him and darted away, keeping the kitchen table between them.   
“What don’t you understand about fucking leave?!” Mickey shouted as he grabbed his wallet and keys. “If you won’t leave, I will” 

~~~~~

“I’m sorry to just turn up like this but I had nowhere else to go” Mickey struggled to keep his voice even as he spoke. He had driven straight to Mason’s work, trying to fight away the tears.   
“It’s ok. I’m due for a break. How about we go get lunch and you can tell me what’s going on?” Mason suggested. Mickey nodded and waited til Mason returned from talking to his boss.   
Mickey was silent as Mason led the way to a nearby diner; he just gripped Mason’s hand and tried not to think about his husband back in his house.   
“So what’s happened?” Mason prompted as they slid in a booth in the back and the waitress wandered away.   
“Ian’s back” Mickey said simply. “And he essentially wants to pick up where we left off”  
“Ah” Mason said as he took a sip of his water. “And what do you want?”  
“For him to leave. I want to go back to this morning - you and me in bed” Mickey sighed. His hands shook and Mason reached across and gripped them in his. He turned Mickey’s left hand over and fingered the silver band that adorned Mickey’s ring finger.   
“I’ve been thinking about taking it off” Mickey said quietly and Mason nodded but stayed silent.   
“What about Evan? Doesn’t he deserve to know his father?” Mason asked after a few minutes of silence. Mickey scowled but Mason pushed on. “Ian hurt you, I get that. But he hasn’t done anything to Evan and every child deserves two loving parents if it’s possible”  
Mickey rubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck you for being so damn diplomatic”  
Mason chuckled. “I’m not saying you need to forgive him or take him back. This is about Evan”

~~~~~

Mickey spent the rest of the day away from the apartment, mulling over what Mason had said. He hated that Mason was right. Ian hadn’t done anything to deny him access to his son, hell he didn’t even know he had a son until a few hours ago.   
“Hey kiddo” Mickey said when he picked up his son. He tried to put on a big smile but Evan saw straight through it.   
“Why are you sad Daddy?” Evan put one of his small hands against Mickey’s cheek. Mickey made a face at the child as they headed out to the car.   
“I’m ok, bud” Mickey lied as he buckled the little boy into his car seat.   
“We’re not allowed to lie, Daddy” Evan said in a matter of fact tone. Mickey was constantly surprised he’d given birth to such a smart, intuitive kid.   
“There’s someone at home who wants to meet you” Mickey explained as he slid into the drivers’ seat. He glanced at his son through the rear-view mirror.   
“Who?” Evan asked.   
“Your Dad” Mickey replied. Evan pulled a confused face. “You’re lucky enough to have two Dads, baby. Not everyone gets two Dads”   
“Ok” Evan was still clearly confused but Mickey didn’t what to go into too much detail with his four year old. The drive home was silent. Mickey could tell Evan was nervous about meeting Ian, hell Mickey was nervous about them meeting.   
“You ok, kiddo?” Mickey asked as he pulled up outside their house. He got out of the car and pulled Evan into his arms before heading for the front door. Evan nodded as he wrapped his arms around Mickey’s neck tightly and buried his face into his shoulder. Yeah, the kid was fine. 

Ian was sitting on the sofa when he saw Mickey pull up. He didn’t know if Mickey was coming back, so to say he was shocked to see Mickey carrying their son up to the house was an understatement.   
He bolted to the front door as he heard Mickey fumbling with the key and opened it for them.   
“Move” Mickey grumbled, shifting his body so the little boy was away from Ian and headed straight for the kitchen. Ian shut the front door and followed them. Mickey was sitting at the kitchen table with the little boy in his lap. Ian stopped dead when his son finally looked up at him. There was absolutely no denying they were father and son. The resemblance was striking.   
“Hey Evan, look at me” Mickey spoke softly to the boy who was still wrapped tightly around him. Mickey carefully pried his son’s arms from around his neck and looked up at Ian.   
“Hi Evan” Ian said as he knelt down next to Mickey, putting a hand on his knee for balance. “I’m Ian, your Dad”  
Evan peered at Ian, surveying him before speaking. “You make Daddy sad, you’re not nice!” Evan slapped Ian across the face with all the strength he could muster before scrambling down from Mickey’s lap and darting into his bedroom.   
“What have you been telling him Mickey?” Ian sighed as he stood up and stepped back from Mickey.   
“Fuck you, what did you expect? He’s four years old and has no idea who you are!” Mickey spat as he pushed past Ian and dug a beer from the fridge. He didn’t bother offering one to Ian. Mickey didn’t want to give Ian the impression he was actually welcome to stay.   
“Can I try again?” Ian asked. “I’d really like to get to know him”   
“Not tonight” Mickey took a swig of the beer. Ian deflated and Mickey almost relented. Almost.   
“Maybe tomorrow, I’ll give you a call” He held out his phone and Ian took the hint and put his number into it.


	6. Trying Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian bonds with Evan but can he bond with Mickey?
> 
> Mickey makes a heartbreaking decision - was it the right one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a really hard chapter to write but I hope it turned out ok. 
> 
> Also, I think the next chapter will be the last, there's only one last thing I want to do.

“I swear to god Gallagher, if that kid is hopped up on sugar when I get home I’m not lifting a finger when it’s bedtime” Mickey said into his phone as he walked down the street.  
“I can’t fight the eyes Mick. He pulled out the lip as well!” Ian defended. Mickey rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. He knew those moves. He’d been fighting them long before Evan came along.  
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be home soon, ok? Do you think you can keep him under control until then?” Mickey asked.  
“I’ll try” Ian replied dramatically, making Mickey laugh. They hung up and Mickey’s stomach somersaulted. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a very long time. 

It had been eight weeks since Ian’s return and they’d fallen to a strange domestic situation. They got on best when they were looking after or talking about Evan. Take Evan out of the equation and it became awkward and strained. They shared a bed because that’s what felt natural but the space between them couldn’t be any wider. Any form of intimacy was out of the question; Ian had tried initiating sex in the first week and Mickey had freaked out so badly they both ended up bleeding. Ian hadn’t so much as touched Mickey since. 

The one thing Mickey couldn’t deny was how good a father Ian was. He absolutely doted on Evan and once the young boy got past his initial trepidation, it was clear he adored Ian as well. It helped that Ian literally did anything to gain Evan’s affection. Ian certainly wasn’t above buying Evan anything and everything he wanted. The worst was when Mickey would come home to an exhausted Ian and a sugar loaded Evan bouncing off the walls. 

But the one thing Mickey was having trouble reconciling, was the two different people he was dealing with. Ian the father was a very different person to Ian the husband. At first they were barely getting along when Evan wasn’t around and everything seemed to turn into a fight. But in recent weeks the lines were being blurred and Mickey was having a hard time telling the two apart. He was beginning to see the guy he fell in love with all those years ago. There was a part of him that wanted to see if they could get what they used to have back. Another part was utterly terrified and just wanted to run back to Mason and the safety Mickey felt when they were together. 

Mickey was so lost in thought he didn’t see the person walking towards him until it was too late. They slammed into each other and Mickey was sent into the nearest wall.  
“Shit, sorry” Mickey muttered as he brushed himself off. He looked up and came face to face with a very familiar pair of brown eyes.  
“Jesus Mick, we gotta stop meeting like this” Mason chuckled with a smirk. “Where were you?”  
“Thousand miles away” Mickey mumbled, embarrassed. How had he not seen his own boyfriend walking towards him?  
“Haven’t heard from you for a while, everything ok?” Mason asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. He picked up on Mickey’s conflicted mood.  
“Can we get a coffee? Talk?” Mickey asked, rubbing at the back of his neck. “You got time?”  
“Yeah of course” Mason put a hesitant hand on Mickey’s shoulder and steered him to the nearest café. 

“How’re things at home with Ian?” Mason asked as they wandered over to a vacant table, coffees in hand. Mickey sighed, sitting heavily across from his boyfriend. Could he even call Mason that anymore? He wanted to but then there was Ian. His husband. Fuck. When did his life become so damn complicated?  
“It’s been an adjustment” Mickey started. “Evan took a while to warm to him but they’re inseparable now. It’s nice to see Evan so happy”  
“And what about you? Can’t be easy to have Ian back” Mason sipped at his coffee.  
Mickey shrugged. “It’s weird, I thought I’d hate having him around again but…”  
“It’s not that bad, having the guy you love back” Mason finished his sentence sadly.  
“Mase –” Mickey tried to reach across the table but Mason moved out of his reach.  
“It’s ok Mick. I get it, you have a lot of history with Ian” Mason stood up and moved towards the door of the café.  
“Mason!” Mickey called, chasing after him. Mason tried to compose himself as he let Mickey catch up with him. A hand on his shoulder made Mason jump slightly.  
“I’m sorry Mason, I never thought this would happen” Mickey’s voice was thick with emotion. For the longest time Mickey was sure he’d moved on from Ian but now the redhead was back in his life and it was different. Everything Mickey was so sure of had been thrown out of the window.  
“Honestly Mickey, I get it I do. You need to see if there’s anything left between you and your husband” Mason turned to face Mickey and put his hands on either side on Mickey’s face, his brown eyes pricked with tears.  
“You’re allowed to be angry” Mickey whispered, clinging onto Mason’s forearms. “I would be”  
“I’m not angry, I could never be angry with you Mickey” Mason stated. “I – ”  
“Don’t” Mickey pleaded, his voice breaking. “But yeah, me too” Mickey pulled Mason into his arms and he didn’t care that they were in the middle of the street in broad daylight.  
Eventually Mason pulled away and wiped at his eyes. “I hope this won’t affect our boys”  
“Won’t let it, they’re friends. What happens between us stays between us” Mickey replied.  
“Good because Casey won’t stop asking about their next sleepover” Mason chuckled humourlessly.  
“Would it be bad form to ask for a favour, right now?” Mickey asked.  
“I couldn’t deny you even if it was” Mason whispered, taking a keen interest in the toe of his sneaker.  
“How about they have their sleepover tomorrow night?” Mickey suggested. “Just it’ll have to be at your place. You could pick Evan up tomorrow and just drop him back at day care the following day”  
“Yeah ok, Casey’ll love that” Mason still couldn’t look at Mickey. He steeled himself for a second before slowly lifting his head. “Promise me two things”  
“Anything” Mickey breathed, resting his forehead on Mason’s.  
“I don’t want to meet Ian” Mason said and Mickey nodded. “And if things don’t work out with Ian, call me. I can wait”  
“Mason” Mickey sighed. “I don’t expect you to wait for me”  
“Mick, you’re it for me; ok? You’re the only person I see in my future and if that means I have to wait for a while then I will” Mason said earnestly.  
“Fucking hell man, such a fucking sap aren’t you?” Mickey tried to lighten the mood and earning a light chuckle from Mason.  
“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response” Mason muttered, rolling his eyes. “I gotta go, my break is almost over. I’ll see you around, ok?”  
Mickey only managed to nod as he watched the man walk away. 

~~~~~

Mickey got home to see Ian and Evan curled up on the sofa and his heart clenched, it was a beautiful sight. As Mickey moved into the living room he could see that Evan was asleep on Ian’s chest.  
“Hey” Mickey said softly, squeezing Ian’s shoulder to get his attention.  
“Hey” Ian returned as he reached for the remote with a hand on Evan’s back to keep him steady.  
They settled into a slightly weird silence as Ian changed the channel. Mickey didn’t really know how to broach the subject of trying again with Ian. He wasn’t even sure if Ian was interested in trying again. Fuck, what if he’d just shot himself in the foot by breaking up with Mason?

“Daddy!” Evan stirred and looked over at Mickey before scrambling down from Ian and climbing into Mickey’s lap. “When did you get home?”  
“Not long ago” Mickey said, kissing his cheek. “Have a good day?”  
“Yeah, Ian and me went to the park and had McDonalds for lunch” Evan explained. Mickey didn’t miss the look of hurt that flashed across Ian’s face when Evan used his first name. “Oh, oh! And we fed the ducks in the pond”  
Mickey chuckled at his son’s excitement. “Sounds like a fun day, you’ll have a lot to tell Casey at day care tomorrow”  
“Yeah” Evan nodded as he turned to Ian. “Casey’s my bestest friend and his daddy is Daddy’s friend”  
“Oh?” Ian looked from Evan to Mickey, hoping Mickey would explain. Instead, Mickey turned his attention to his son.  
“I ran into Casey’s dad today and he was saying Casey would like to have another sleepover, would you like to have a sleepover at Casey’s house?”  
“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Evan exclaimed, bouncing on Mickey’s lap. “When?”  
“Tomorrow night, you’ll go home with Casey and his dad and I’ll pick you from day care the following day” Mickey explained as he tried to contain his bouncing son. He glanced over at Ian, who was seething. Mickey rolled his eyes. “How about you go pack your bag now?”  
Evan nodded eagerly, scrambling down from Mickey’s lap and dashed to his room.  
“What?” Mickey sighed as he watched Ian silently sit up and stare at him.  
“Don’t you think you should’ve run that past me first?” Ian’s voice was low and dark.  
“Fuck you Gallagher, I’ve spent four years bringing that kid up and haven’t had to run anything by anyone else before” Mickey spat as he stood up and headed into the kitchen.  
“Who is Casey and his dad? Where’d you meet them? When do I get to meet them?” Ian interrogated as he followed Mickey.  
“Casey is Evan’s friend from day care, that’s where they met. His father and I –” Mickey didn’t really know how to explain his relationship with Mason to Ian.  
“Holy shit” Ian stepped backwards as the realisation hit him. “You were with him. How long?”  
“A little over two years” Mickey confessed.  
“You cheated on me for two years?!” Ian was dumbfounded, hurt and boiling with rage all at the same time.  
“I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IF YOU WERE ALIVE!” Mickey roared. “FOUR FUCKING YEARS AND NOT A SINGLE WORD AND NOW YOU WALTZ BACK INTO MY LIFE AND EXPECT ME TO RUN SHIT BY YOU EACH TIME I WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH MY SON?!”  
“Mick” Ian said, glancing over his shoulder and spotting their son’s bright red mop of hair poking around the corner. Seconds later Evan was gone and they both heard the bedroom door slamming.  
“Fuck” Mickey muttered. He looked at Ian. “You need to leave”  
“Mickey please” Ian pleaded.  
“Jesus Gallagher, just go would you?” Mickey sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Ian could tell Mickey needed space so he decided to obey. He found his phone, wallet and keys and headed for the door. When he got to the door Ian stopped and turned with the intention of saying something. But Mickey beat him to it.  
“I was hoping we’d be able to try again but if this is what it’s going to be like now, I don’t see the point” Mickey’s voice was sad and it broke Ian’s heart. “I’ll call you”


	7. What's Meant To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey and Ian have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter was so hard to write! I knew where I wanted to take it but each time I sat down to write it, I wasn't happy with what came out. This is why it took so long. This is also why there's going to be another chapter. 
> 
> Also,
> 
> I think I'm about to break some hearts...

Ian stayed away for a whole week and Mickey didn’t try to contact him. Even Evan didn’t ask about his new favourite person.   
“Are you gonna end things with Ian?” Mandy asked one night. She’d come over with Jamie for dinner and now Jamie was helping Evan get ready for bed, leaving the siblings to wash up.   
“What makes you say that?” Mickey asked as he stacked the now dry plates and put them away in an overhead cupboard.   
“You’re not wearing your ring” Mandy pointed at his left hand with her soap covered ones. Mickey stared down at his hand. He’d taken the ring off in a fit of rage after Ian left but had never put it back on. It had taken some getting used to, but now he didn’t want to put it back on.   
“I think it’s time” Mickey said solemnly. It wasn’t a decision he’d come to easily but he just didn’t see a future for him and Ian. When the thought first came into his mind, he tried to get rid of it. But it eventually became all he could think about and the sad realisation hit him. Even with the amount of history they shared, Mickey and Ian’s marriage was over. 

~~~~~

“This is it. This is you breaking up with me” Ian said the second Mickey answered the door the following day. Mickey closed the front door and followed Ian into the living room.   
“Yeah” Mickey replied sadly. “I think it’s for the best”   
“I’m sorry. I haven’t made this easy on you” Ian said, wringing his hands. “I blamed you for a lot”  
Mickey stayed silent. He wanted to hear what Ian was going to say without prompting.   
“I blamed you for losing our baby and that wasn’t fair. At the time I needed someone to blame and you were there” Ian continued. “I should’ve supported you through the hardest time of your life. I was a shit husband and I’ll be forever sorry I ruined us”  
“Thank you Ian” Mickey reached out and gripped the redhead’s hand. “I don’t want to keep you out of Evan’s life. You may have been a shit husband but you’re an incredible father”  
“Does that mean you want to try being friends?” Ian’s voice was wet as he tried to smile.   
“Yeah, I think we can get there eventually” Mickey agreed with a nod. 

“So what happens now?” Ian asked as he followed Mickey into the kitchen.   
“I need to tell Evan. He needs to know before anyone else does” Mickey opened the fridge and pulled a few things from the shelves. “But we need to be on the same page going forward. He’ll have a lot of questions and I want to be able to answer them”  
“Hmm” Ian nodded as he stole the piece of ham Mickey was cutting up. Mickey swatted him away and pointed vaguely towards the overhead cupboard. Ian got the message, wandered over and pull down a couple of plates. “So what will he want to know?”  
“For starters, where he’s gonna live. You and I will have separate places so he needs to know he has a home at both” Mickey explained. He plated the sandwiches and grabbed a couple of cans of soda from the fridge before leading the way back to the living room.   
“I ah, don’t have a place at the moment” Ian said awkwardly. “No job yet either”  
“Where have you been staying this last week?” Mickey questioned.   
“Motel” Ian replied quickly, the anxiety clear in voice. “I’ve been looking for a job but nobody’s hiring right now”   
“Ian, it’s ok” Mickey said, fighting a smirk. “You’ll find something. But I did want to run something by you though”  
“Oh you’re running things past me now?” Ian said around a bite of sandwich as he fought a smile.   
“This actually involves you, asshole” Mickey shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I want to give you this place” Mickey waved his hand around himself, indicating to the house.   
“Wait, what?!” Ian spluttered as the older man’s words sunk in. 

Mickey snickered at Ian’s predictable reaction. He’d been thinking about it for a while and knew letting Ian have the house was the best option. Their break up was going to be confusing enough for Evan so Mickey wanted to make it easier on their son. It also gave Mickey the peace of mind that Ian didn’t need to go back to Chicago. He wanted Ian in Evan’s life and having the redhead in New York would make it that much simpler. 

“You need a place to stay and you’re already on the deed so it makes sense. I’ll take my name off it and it’ll be yours outright” Mickey explained.   
“And where are you going to go?” Ian picked up their now empty plates and walked them into the kitchen. Mickey sipped at his drink, waiting for Ian to return before answering.   
“Mason’s” Mickey couldn’t look Ian in the eye. There was a part of him that felt guilty at how excited he was to move in with Mason.   
“Oh” Ian said quietly, trying to hide his sniffling.   
Mickey sighed. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “I’m sorry Ian”   
“It’s ok, you deserve to be happy Mick” Ian stood up and wandered towards the window, careful to keep his back to Mickey. Ian pulled himself together and wiped at his eyes before turning back to Mickey. “So, when do I get to meet him?”  
“He, ah, doesn’t want to meet you” Even with his back to Mickey, he could see Ian’s heart break as he spoke. “But maybe I can talk him around”   
“It’s ok, you don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t want to meet the man who abandoned my boyfriend either” Ian fought to keep his emotions in check.   
“Ian” Mickey stood up and walked up to the redhead and pulled him back onto the sofa. “I’m sorry, ok? I really am but Mason and I are serious”  
Ian nodded, wiping at his eyes again. “Do you think if Mason wasn’t in the picture, you’d be more willing to give us another chance?”  
Mickey took a deep breath. He knew this question was coming. “Honestly, no. something’s changed between us and even after almost 20 years there’s no going back”  
Ian nodded sadly. “I know what you mean. I still love you but I can’t see a future like I used to”

Mickey spent a few hours packing up the majority of his things. He didn’t bother with the household stuff, he had no need for or attachment to any of the kitchen wear that cluttered his – no, Ian’s – kitchen.   
“I think we need to split Evan’s stuff” Mickey said as he wandered back into the living room.   
“What do you mean?” Ian asked, looking up from his laptop.   
“He needs to know he has a home with the both of us and I don’t want him living out of a backpack for the rest of his life” Mickey explained.   
“Maybe he should do it though, we’ll talk to him together and he can decide what he leaves here and what he takes to your place” Ian closed his computer and stood up.   
Mickey nodded in agreement. “Can you cook dinner and I’ll go pick him up from Mandy’s?”   
“Yeah sure” Ian replied. 

Mickey was able to hold himself together right up until Mandy answered the door. He took one look at his sister and his knees gave way with the enormity of what was happening. All the emotion he’d been holding back while talking with Ian hit Mickey with a ferocity he couldn’t control. Mandy pulled her brother over to the porch steps and just held him until he was able to speak.   
“I did it, it’s over” Mickey eventually managed to get out. He pulled back from his sister and wiped roughly at his eyes.   
“I’m proud of you Mikhailo” Mandy whispered as Mickey clung to her. “You did the right thing”   
Neither sibling was aware they were being watched. Evan had seen his Dad’s car pull up and watched from the living room window as Mandy answered the door and Mickey had broken down. Evan didn’t like seeing his Dad upset, it hurt his heart to see his favourite person in pain.  
“Daddy?” Evan squeaked, making Mickey and Mandy jump.   
“Ev go back inside, we’ll be in in a minute” Mandy tried shooing her nephew back inside.   
“It’s ok Mands” Mickey wiped at his face before turning to his son. “C’mere buddy”  
Mandy stood up and smiled at the little boy as Evan climbed into Mickey’s lap. Evan put his hands on either side of Mickey’s face and wiped under his eyes before wrapped his little arms tightly around Mickey’s neck.  
Dinner was awkward and strained. Mickey didn’t know how to explain things to his four-year-old son and it was clear Ian was trying hard to follow Mickey’s lead.   
“Mick” Ian’s voice was barely audible but Mickey caught it nonetheless. “Do you want me to start?”   
Mickey looked at Ian with wide, glassy eyes and then at his son before nodded slowly.   
“Evan, we need to talk to you about something” Ian started, turning his attention to the little boy who was a spitting image of himself.   
“Ok” Evan looked at Ian and then at Mickey. “Is this about why Daddy was sad at Aunty Mandy’s?”  
“I may have had a little melt down at Mandy’s and told her” Mickey shrugged at Ian’s alarmed look.   
“Evan, Daddy is moving out” Ian recovered and spoke to his son. “And you’re going to have two homes”  
“Why?” Evan asked, glancing between his fathers and landing on Ian. “What did you do?!”  
“Hey Evan it’s not Ian’s fault, ok?” Mickey jumped in. “This is something that needs to happen and we both want you to know you’ll have a home with both of us”  
“Ok” Evan seemed to accept that. “Can I go watch TV?”  
“Um, yeah sure” Ian looked at Mickey who was equally dumbstruck. They were both expecting tears but it didn’t happen. Neither really knew how much Evan took in or even understood.   
“Well that was easy” Ian said as they cleared the table together.   
“Yeah, too easy” Mickey watched his son as the little boy settled in front of the TV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I promise it gets better!


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a time jump...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter! Sorry it took so long - I hit a bit of a block in how to end this and had to leave it for a while. It's not the ending many would want but it works for this fic.   
> Thanks to the anon who sent me the prompt and to everyone who read, commented and kudo'd this fic.

“Mickey Milkovich, you are a fucking shithead!” Ian’s voice echoed loudly in his ear the second Mickey answered the phone. “I want you to stop setting me up with guys you work with!”  
“So I take it the date was a bust?” Mickey chuckled as he rolled away from Mason.   
“He was a fucking idiot!” Ian ranted. “And he had some really weird fetishes”   
Mickey cackled loudly as Mason gave him a questioning look. Mickey shook his head and rolled his eyes as he listened to Ian to continue to rant about his disastrous date.   
“Ok, ok. If I promise to stop setting you up, can we hang up now?” Mickey placated the readhead.   
“Can you make sure Evan has some swimming trunks in his bag? I want to take him swimming over the weekend” Ian sighed, relenting.   
“Yeah, leave them at yours and I’ll buy him another pair tomorrow” Mickey replied. They hung up and Mickey turned to Mason who was laying on his stomach on their bed watching Mickey.   
“Told you Jack was an idiot” Mason said as Mickey tossed his phone on the bedside table.   
“Oh shut up you” Mickey laughed as he eyed Mason up and down. Mason flipped onto his back and scrambled up the bed as Mickey pounced.   
~~~~~

In the almost three and a half years since Mickey and Ian officially broke up, they’d become good friends. It took a few months but Mason and Ian eventually met and Mason had grumbled to Mickey that night that he hated that he couldn’t dislike Ian. Having Ian in New York was one hundred times easier when it came to co-parenting. Mickey went out of his way to ensure that Evan was comfortable living between the two houses. He needn’t worried though, Evan loved the idea of having two bedrooms. Evan also loved living with Casey – it was like having a sleepover all the time!

Ian got a job as an instructor at the local ROCT chapter and even did the rounds of schools for a few months, talking about his experience in the army. To anyone else Ian looked happy. But Mickey knew better. He knew Ian was lonely even though the redhead never said anything. He knew it killed Ian a little more each time Evan stayed with him and Mason even though his ex never said anything. Mickey knew Ian better than anyone, even Ian himself.   
So Mickey had the bright idea of setting Ian up on a series of blind dates in the hope that he would see that spark in those gorgeous green eyes again. 

~~~~~

“Hey kid, how was your weekend with Dad?” Mickey asked Evan when he picked him up from school on Monday afternoon.   
“Good, he seems a little sad though” Evan replied as he climbed into the back seat of Mickey’s car.   
“Why? What happened?” Mickey glanced at his son through the rear-view mirror.  
“Dunno” Evan shrugged. “He cries in his sleep a lot, I’ve tried asking him about it but he says he’s fine” Evan looked up and Mickey could hear the concern in his voice. “He’s ok, isn’t he?”  
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him” Mickey assured him with a smile. 

“You’re alright, ain’t you?” Mickey asked Ian a few days later. They sat across from each other in a small diner, a large plate of cheesy fries between them.   
“Yeah, why’re you asking?” Ian said a little too quickly, suddenly taking a great interest in the little white salt shaker that sat on the table.   
“Evan said you’ve been crying in your sleep” Mickey spoke softly.   
“Kid’s got a big mouth” Ian muttered, still not meeting Mickey’s eye.   
“Wonder where he got that from” Mickey smirked, trying to get Ian smiling. It worked, albeit barely, Ian looked up at Mickey with a small smile and wet eyes. “What’s wrong?”  
“Fuck” Ian mumbled as he wiped at his eyes. “It’s nothing”  
“Ian, talk to me” Mickey reached out for Ian’s hand but Ian pulled back.   
“That’s part of the problem Mick, you’re the only one I can talk to” Ian shuffled out of the booth, grabbed his coat and shrugged it on before tossing a few bills on the table and walking out of the diner. Mickey sighed heavily before pulling on his own coat and gathering up Ian’s money to take to the front counter. 

~~~~~

Ian stood in the middle of his living area, staring around the room. It hadn’t changed since the day he and Mickey had moved in, almost ten years ago. Hell, there was still a small crack in one of the kitchen cupboards from when Ian slammed Mickey into it a little too hard. Ian chuckled lightly at the memory as he moved from the living room down the short hall and into the main bedroom. The room was emptier without Mickey’s things. Cleaner, yes, but Ian didn’t like it. He hated coming home to a silent house, so much so he’d gotten into the habit of leaving the radio on.   
After his conversation with Mickey, Ian came to a decision. He wanted to stay in the house, mainly for Evan, but the place was thick with memories of his failed marriage. Everywhere he turned, Ian was reminded of how horrible he’d been to Mickey and how he’d abandoned the older man when he needed him the most. It killed him a little more each day.   
So something needed to change, and as Ian continued to wander through the house he figured out what. He was going to renovate the house. A new splash of colour on the walls, new kitchen cupboards, maybe even new bathroom fixtures. Hopefully a change would make him feel better. 

~~~~~

“Did you know Ian was thinking about renovating your old house?” Mason asked as he wandered into the bathroom, his phone in his hand.   
“Pass me that towel” Mickey said as he turned the water off. “What are you talking about?”   
“He’s asking me about interior decorating contacts” Mason explained, holding out his phone in one hand and the towel in the other.   
“He’s perfectly within his right to renovate if he wants” Mickey shrugged as he dried his hair.   
“Doesn’t it bother you? It’s your place too” Mason followed his naked boyfriend back to their bedroom.   
“Was” Mickey amended as he sifted through their wardrobe in search of something to wear. “I took my name off the mortgage, remember?”  
“So it really doesn’t bother you?” Mason perched himself on the corner of their bed.   
“No, he’ll tell me in his own time” Mickey pulled a black tee over his head. “Who’re you going to suggest?”  
“There’s this new guy I’ve worked with recently, I’ll send a few names and let Ian decide” Mason spoke as he typed out a reply.   
“Is the new guy hot?” Mickey asked, a mischievous grin forming on his face.   
“I thought you’d given up on playing match maker” Mason’s mouth slackened as Mickey bent over to put his socks on.   
“That’s not a ‘no’. Do you have a picture? Or just give me his name, I’ll Google him” Mickey said.   
“Don’t you dare! Just leave it alone” Mason swatted at Mickey’s arm when he made a grab for his phone. Mickey managed to knock the phone out of Mason’s hand and Mason pulled Mickey on top of him, hopeful it’d be enough of a distraction that Mickey would forget about the phone.   
“You play fucking dirty” Mickey groaned as Mason ground their pelvises together and sucked on that sensitive spot behind his ear.   
“I’ll stop if you like” Mason bit lightly at Mickey’s earlobe.   
“Don’t you fucking dare” Mickey moaned. He could feel Mason’s smile against his skin. Without warning, Mason flipped them and planted his hands on either side of Mickey’s head. Their hard dicks rubbed against each other when Mason pressed him entire body flush against Mickey’s.   
“Tell me you’ll leave Ian and whoever he chooses to help redecorate alone. He’s made it more than clear he doesn’t want you matchmaking” Mason said between the kisses he was planting on Mickey’s collarbone.  
“Don’t know – ” Mickey started but barely got the words out before Mason was attacking him.   
“I’m sorry, would you like to try again?” Mason asked, gripping Mickey’s crotch tightly.   
“Fuck! Ok, ok. I’ll leave them alone. Jesus, would you let go with your fucking death grip” Mickey gasped as Mason smiled sweetly at him before climbing off him. 

~~~~~  
Mason: I won’t overwhelm you with choices but here are my best contacts. They’re all great but I highly recommend the third one. He’s cute too ;P 

Ian: Thanks man. Tell Cupid to go fuck himself  
~~~~~

A few days and a couple of Google searches later, Ian decided to give one of Mason’s contacts a call. And maybe, just maybe he’d been swayed by Mason’s little comment.   
It wasn’t intentional, but Ian was brimming with nerves as he waited for Mason’s contact to arrive. It was stupid, it was a professional meeting. The guy probably wasn’t even gay. But it didn’t stop Ian spending half an hour in the bathroom, perfecting his hair and changing tops at least three times. He was so caught up in his nerves, Ian jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang. Ian dashes to the door but forces himself to take a breath before opening the door. The person standing there took Ian’s breath away. He was short with curly brown and a lopsided grin. Ian’s heart fluttered like it did he first met Mickey. Ian smiled at the guy who held out his hand as he spoke. 

“Hi, I’m Trevor”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know many don't like Trevor but I do. He had a lot of potential in canon but as usual they fucked up. 
> 
> My prompts are open, comment here or come talk to me on Tumblr: Livefortoday-dreamforever.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry the rest of the chapters will be much longer!
> 
> Mickey may seem a little ooc but there is a reason and all will be explained in time. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Come talk to me on Tumblr: livefortoday-dreamforever


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